Legitimate Questions, Part Two

I've been asking the following question for years, and have yet to be satisfied with a decent answer:

• At a major league baseball game, does the batter himself pick the particular song the stadium plays as he walks up to the plate, or is a random song designed to perk up the crowd, and not to be associated with the batter specifically?

I ask this because sometimes the song choices are kind of bizarre. Obscure country tunes, for example. Not exactly an obvious genre to get people on their feet. Or songs in Spanish. Yes, I realize that quite a few major league baseball players originally hail from Spanish-speaking countries, but wouldn't it be a little presumptuous to go Spanish unless the player asked you to? What if you picked a really crappy song and put them in a bad mood and made them strike out?

Or take last night, when Giants batter Pedro Feliz walked out to "Master of Puppets".

Master of Puppets? That song came out over 20 years ago. It's hardcore 80s speed metal. It's also a really good song if you can get past the cocaine and death references, but still. I find it hard to believe that AT&T Park's audio tech threw out "Master of Puppets" for no better reason than that the track just happened to be laying around. Or did he? Do batters have better things to think about than their at-bat song? I have no idea. Do you have any idea?

Bonus points if you're actually a major league baseball player, because I also have some questions about your uniforms.

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Update: Guess why Wikipedia is the BEST THING EVER?

Comments

[Faroff]

Sarah at the beginning of each season the players are asked for the songs they would like to have played while they are introduced. My mom use to work for Dodger Stadium.

So every time your favorite player walks up to the plate you get a glimpse of his Musical taste.

[sarah]

OMG! Is this true?? I always thought that was the case, but people kept telling me I was stupid. I'm going to get up and do a little dance now.

[alan]

Same thing for pitchers, too.
There's a list at Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_baseball_entrance_music

[invisible]

Yep Sarah that is all true, come one throw us the uniform question.

[ripismoney]

The same holds true in Detroit -- the players choose the song they want to walk out to. Many try to change things up every now and then or stay out of the mainstream to a certain degree, whereas first baseman Sean Casey has been sticking with Even Flow by Pearl Jam since his arrival in the D (and perhaps for years before).

[Alan]

My next door neighbor played in the majors for 14 years and yes at the begining of the year they ask what the player wants as their song. Most baseball players are so superstitious that even after years of sucess they still keep the same song. At opposing ball parks they would play a taunting song but I don't think they still do that.

[John]

I've got my horse fired up and I'm going to rescue lane from those giants. Poor musical taste is deadly

[Dennis D]

Well I played lots of baseball and softball having to wear a uniform lol
what would the question be.

[Adam]

Cowboy Baseball Players Choose Own Theme Songs.

http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/uwire/050207aav.html

[MB]

Your "Master of Puppets" comment is pretty lame, I'm not even sure if that is the correct musical genre...hardcore 80s speed metal...lol. Nothing fires me up more than someone incorrectly categorizing music. I did see you got your music genre reference from Wikipedia however it's lame. Also, did you ever think he choose that song because it gets him pumped up for the game??!! I'm pretty sure that's the reason they choose the songs that they do....

[John]

You can always tell when it's contract negotiation time. You start hearing songs like "You're Going To Give It To Me", "Ain't Life A Bitch", "Please, Please, Please", "Tomorrow, Tomorrow. Tomorrow",

[sarah]

@MB - Wow, nothing fires you up more than someone incorrectly categorizing music? That's amazing! Nothing at all? :)
If you don't think Master of Puppets goes under 'speed metal from the 1980s', please let me how you'd prefer I'd categorize.
And yes, I did think he chose that song because it got him pumped up for the game. That was the whole point of my post. Stay with us, MB!

[MB]

Well maybe traffic and horrible drivers fire me up more.... :)
I think it would be more appropriate to categorize it as thrash metal or simply just heavy metal. Master of Puppets is known to be one of the most influential heavy metal albums of all time.

[KnuxSonic]

When I make it to the major's (see: never), I believe anything in polka or classical would be a great walk-up tune. Ever seen a picture of 20,000 baseball fans scratching their heads all at once?

[JCSilk4]

Yep, in general, the players get to pick. Same is true for pitchers, though Trevor Hoffman didn't select Hell's Bells, that was just played one time and it stuck. Here in San Diego, the starting pitchers also pick which uniform top the team will wear.

[Jill]

I know that the Toronto Blue Jays pick their own songs, and from the comments above it looks like it's a league-wide practice. The next time I go to a Jays game I'll have to keep track of the songs played so I can add to that article ;)

[Jill]

Just as your post started a discussion between my boyfriend and I about MLB music, he came across an article during his daily baseball readings that mentions music:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/luke_winn/05/25/cordero.brewers/index.html

Only the first two paragraphs are relevant though.

[Heath]

I ruv baseball

[Sundog]

It's not always true that a MLB player chooses his own music. One of my best friends is the music director/organist for a team and has been for several years. It sounds crazy, but my buddy actually spends a lot of time thinking and planning music for different players and different game situations. And this is a guy who is classically trained as a pianist and composer.

For your viewing pleasure, an article from a local paper detailing his work.

http://www.pitch.com/2004-06-10/music/vital-organ/

[Manley]

Master of Puppets ROCK!!!! That was back when Metallica was STILL Metallica.

RIP Dime,
Stay Metal!

-Manley